Go Bag or Shelter in Place - a guide to getting ready.

How to use this guide:

Print as many of any page as you need. Include extra copies for each family member and vehicle.

Page 1-4 are overall guide and checklist. Print double-sided. Essentials is the overall list and & Checklist gives you space to write your personal list. This packet can be used in multiple ways and you should figure out how it works best for you. If you can’t print double-sided or follow some suggestion here, do not let it derail you. The point is to be as prepared as is possible, so that you and you family can be as safe.

• Pages 1-2 are General Go Bag Essentials & Checklist. Print double-sided.

• Pages 3-4 are Shelter-in-Place Essentials & Checklist. Print double-sided.

Pages 5-7 are tracker and packing lists. Print Single-sided. Packing list pages can be cut into half or quarter pages depending on the size of your Go Bag(s) and should be attached to the outside for easy reference.

•Page 5 is a General Go Bag Tracker. Print Single-sided. Use this page to keep track of multiple bags and their locations (hall closet, Mom’s truck, inside of bag 1, etc.).

•Page 6 is a General Go Packing List - 1/2 sheet. Print Single-sided.

•Page 7 is a General Go Packing List - 1/4 sheet. Print Single-sided

It may take a while to gather everything you need. Not everyone has the same level of resources. Go over the list and gather the items you need. Figure out what items you are missing, and if they are critical to a disaster you are likely to face in you region. Then figure out how to obtain them.

•      Page 8 includes List of items I still need to find and List of Food items. - 1/2 sheet. Print two copies, single-sided.  One for the Go Bag and one for Sheltering in place.

Quarterly Check: Once you feel you have everything you need to be prepared for any emergency put yourself on a schedule to check your provisions every quarter. Write it in your calendar as something you need to do every three months. A bag prepared in July, may not be appropriately packed if it is needed in December. Some foods may expire and need to be replaced. Checking quarterly allows you to rotate out food before it goes bad and you can still use it. When you check your Go Bags to update them, print a new copy of this list and update it, too.

Gathering Items: A lot of items included on both lists are regular household items that most people have if they have a fully stocked home. Not everyone does and not everyone can run out and buy everything. You can get everything on this list over time. The point is to get yourself and your family to the highest level of preparation possible. If this takes months or years, stay on top of it. Switch from a quarterly check to a monthly check until you feel prepared. 

Use the list on page eight to help get you there. Buy an extra few bags of dry beans or tubes of toothpaste on each grocery trip or browse the local thrift store for used tools in good repair to build up a useful toolbox. Check local resources to find out if your city or county governments give out any free emergency preparedness items, such as first aid kits or sandbags. Take what is offered. It was paid for with your tax dollars and is there for your community.